Ursuline College will present its 22nd annual Urafiki celebration to honor its most recent African American graduates on Friday, November 2nd. The event is free and open to the public. The theme of this year’s event is “The Black/African American Man.” The Honorable Louis Stokes, former Ohio State Representative will serve as the event’s distinguished elder. He will help lead the Afrocentric celebration.

Dr. Kevin Dixon, a vice president of community and cultural engagement for the ADAMH Board of Franklin County is the keynote speaker. Dixon has been responsible for developing community outreach initiatives and projects that support the diverse needs of Franklin County residents in order to reduce the incident of mental health problems to eliminate the abuse of alcohol and other drugs.

Unique to the College, Urafiki was founded by Ursuline’s Assistant Professor of Nursing Mary Alice Saunders who said Urafiki is a Swahili word meaning friendship. Saunders commented that the purpose of the program is for students and graduates to learn of the richness of Black culture, to provide a forum for developing friendships and facilitating relationships and to encourage students to increase their leadership skills.

Saunders said the celebration is especially meaningful because each honoree invites a special guest who details the honoree’s personal journey leading up to graduation. This introductory format mirrors Africa’s culture, which was built on oral tradition.

The program will be held at Ursuline’s Klyn Hall 7-9 PM. A reception will precede the program at 6 pm To RSVP call 440.646.8322.